“It's because someone made a mistake. They put my title 'interim manager', and I will leave at the end of the season, so they don't need to waste time with me.

“I have been in charge in football for 26 years. I have won the Champions League, won the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the Italian Super Cup, the Spanish league twice, nine trophies, all the trophies you can win at club level."

But Gray, speaking on his talkSPORT show on Thursday morning, says he can understand Benitez’s frustrations and has advised the Spaniard to walk before the end of the season.

“He’s been put in an impossible situation,” said the expert pundit, speaking on his talkSPORT show on Thursday.

“As soon as you announce him as interim manager, he’s right, his position is almost untenable and weak because the players know he’s not going to be there.

“[Appointing] Rafa was a massive mistake from Roman Abramovich. As soon as he was put in there as interim manager, they gave themselves a massive problem. How do you motivate these players if they don’t want to be motivated?

“Some of the fans have been over the top. I don’t mind fans moaning, having a say on their team, prior to the game or after the game. That’s fine. But surely the supporters, even if they detest Rafa, which a lot of them seem to do, should focus on supporting their team in that 90 minutes.

“I think it was a mistake from day one. I think he should walk this morning.”

I think it was a mistake from day one. I think he should walk this morning